Harry Styles donates part of $9.8m charity drive to Sydney zoo

An act of charity by pop prince Harry Styles may have gone awry after he was caught between two competing zoos.

Pop icon Harry Styles, has donated part of an $9.8m charity drive to a popular Australian zoo. Picture: Supplied

Pop icon Harry Styles has donated part of an $9.8m charity drive to a popular Australian zoo; however, it might not be the right one.

The former One Direction member performed back-to-back sold-out shows at Sydney’s Accor Stadium in March as part of his Love on Tour.

In addition to playing almost 170 shows, the two-year globe-spanning tour also resulted in Styles raising about $9.8m for charity.

Harry Styles performed sold out shows at Sydney in March. Picture: VALERIE MACON / AFP

Harry Styles (right) ended his Australian tour alongside Daryl Braithwaite at his second Sydney show. Picture: Supplied

The 25 beneficiaries of the pop-rock star’s campaign drive were announced by US media outlet Variety on Tuesday, including “Sydney Zoo”.

The western Sydney zoo of the same name was founded in 2015, about 50km west of the city’s more well-known Taronga Zoo in Mosman.

However, The Sydney Morning Herald reported that the money had appeared to have instead landed in the pockets of Taronga Zoo.

The Sydney paper said that Taronga, which has a sister zoo in Dubbo, did not disclose donations but believed it was the recipient.

Taronga Zoo, accessible by ferry, is located on Sydney Harbour and is popular among tourists. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Flavio Brancaleone

The waterside zoo became an unlikely element of Styles’ world tour after a scheduling clash with Horses singer Daryl Braithwaite.

Braithwaite performed at the zoo on March 3, the date of Styles’ first show, before joining the pop star on stage the following night.

Styles and Braithwaite performed the singer’s well-known song Horses, with Braithwaite also performing Watermelon Sugar at his own show.

Fans lined up from early morning in an attempt to get a good position for Harry Styles' concert in Perth. Picture: NCA NewsWire /Philip Gostelow

Styles performed in WA before heading to Sydney, Melbourne, and the Gold Coast. Picture: NCA NewsWire /Philip Gostelow

About 80,000 people filed into Accor Stadium at Sydney Olympic Park for each night of Styles’ tour to the city.

He also performed shows in Perth, Melbourne and the Gold Coast before travelling on to Auckland, New Zealand.

Similarly large audiences are expected to return early next year when pop star Taylor Swift brings her Eras Tour to Australia.